With 7:31 left the big news became the fight, not the outcome, which had long been decided. You will hear Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy in the video below talking about his hope that the Rebels could have gotten off to a fast start in the second half after closing the first half with a 7-0 run.
The bottom line on the fight is this: It didn’t change the outcome of this game, but it might change the outcome of the Texas A&M game by making it much harder for the Rebels to compete and win there Wednesday.
Buckner’s status is unknown at t his time and will be decided by the league office, Kennedy says.
Had the Rebels been able to hit a few baskets early in the second half and get a 16-point halftime deficit down to more manageable numbers, then Ole Miss could have indeed made a run at Missouri and made things more competitive.
Instead, it was Missouri that stretched the lead, ever so slightly, in the opening minutes of the second half. You don’t have to stretch a 16-point lead by much to take the air out of the game.
The early second half was more of the same with Missouri hitting open shots and getting rebounds.
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The Rebels close on a 7-0 run to cut the gap to 16 at the half.
Yes, Laurence Bowers is back, but he’s not affecting this game. This is Phil Pressey, Jabari Brown and Keion Bell.
Brown and Bell are a combined 9-for-15 from the floor. Missouri as a team is 8-for-15 from 3 after going just 2-for-18 from 3 in Oxford.
Lots of standing around on defense for Ole Miss while Missouri shares the ball and finds shooters.
Nick Williams got into the game about 4 minutes in. Neither he nor anyone else is having much impact. Williams is 1-for-6 from the floor. He’s missed some clean looks, as his teammates have also, and Missouri not allowing buckets with offensive rebounds.
Missouri students came intent upon wearing out Henderson. I heard more of their yelling before the game. Can’t hear them from where I’m sitting.
Henderson leads Ole Miss with 11 points. He’s 2-for-9 from the floor, 2-for-7 from 3 and 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
Against a more athletic team he’s not able to win off the dribble like he did several times against MSU.
I’ve written about the fearlessness of Anthony Perez before. He’s had a couple of shots fall today. Looks good with the basketball. He’ll come around, just probably not in time to make up a 16-point deficit today.
Murphy Holloway destroyed Missouri going to his left in Oxford. Looked like they’d never heard about Holloway’s left hand. Not today. Holloway has gotten off just two shots, one of them from near the 3-point line. He’s 1-for-2 for 2 points.
Ole Miss has turned it over eight times, but it seems like more.
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Pre-Game
Some Marshall Henderson video and more of the Missouri students. They’re going after him hard today.
Mizzou Students
Denham Springs, La., native, Mississippian since 1989 with a stop in Meridian before arriving in Tupelo. Daily Journal beat writer since 1996, covering Ole Miss since 2002. Proud Northeast Louisiana alum. Follow me on Twitter @parrishalford and listen to Kory Keys and myself daily with The Ole Miss Beat on Rebel Sports Radio.
